you set off a dream in me
by choikimmy
Summary: set during the 3 weeks blank period in the movie; shiraishi takes care of aizawa, and aizawa realizes a new dream in him.


**a/n: **code blue the movie spoilers! this takes place during the 3 weeks blank period in the movie right before the ending event. :)

* * *

_**you set off a dream in me**_

* * *

It has only been a day since he regained his consciousness, but Aizawa feels the soreness of his body and the pain in his limbs if he even as so much as tries to move an inch of his muscles. He's somewhat still in fatigue, which is a normal after-effect of an electric shock, but otherwise, he feels fine. Initial examination upon him regaining his consciousness had shown a favorable result; there are no issues with his heart or other organs, though he was made aware of what happened briefly to his lungs. He'd done some other neurocognitive tests as well to check if there is any damage to his brain, and thankfully the results had come out positive too.

Aizawa sees the clearly worried Shiraishi trying to remain calm and collected as she explains the entire procedure of his rescue and treatment. She says them in her usual demeanour as a professional; he is one of her patients now, after all. But he also realizes the hint of relief behind her eyes, the way she presses both of her palms together tightly, how she is trying to stop herself from trembling—Aizawa sees it all.

He's glad he's alive, is all Aizawa can think of. Even though he'd passed out for god knows how many days, here he is, still alive and breathing, still able to see his surroundings, see his comrades, hear them clearly, even. He's glad that he's able to give Shiraishi a piece of comfort and relief, even though he isn't able to say anything for now, only resorting to listening to her warm voice.

It has only been a day since he regained his consciousness, but Shiraishi still looks like she wants to cry every time their eyes meet. He reaches out for her hand slowly, an action that Aizawa doesn't realize he is doing, until his fingers curl around her wrist gently. Shiraishi doesn't pull away; she meets his gaze once again.

"I'm okay."

Aizawa says, though he winces in discomfort at how rebellious his body is acting at the moment. Shiraishi leans in, her expression masks with worry. "Don't speak, Aizawa-sensei. Your body is still healing."

He nods in obedience, though his heart wishes he could say more to her. To ease her troubled heart, Aizawa thinks to himself silently as she watches her move away to read his report. She seems at ease after that, heaving a huge sigh of relief. Shiraishi looks up, wanting to say something, but is interrupted by the sudden sound emitting from her radio.

They exchange a quick look instantaneously. Aizawa gives her a firm nod. _Go, _his eyes seem to communicate with her as she returns his nod with one of her own. "I'll be back." Shiraishi states, before rushing out from the ICU.

* * *

Aizawa is moved to a general ward two days after, once Shiraishi has confirmed he is recovering properly. The entire gang visits him constantly, especially during their breaks, but never in a complete group. Besides Shiraishi, Fujikawa is next in line of being his most frequent visitor, even bringing him some of his own books at one occasion. "It's for when you're bored and none of us are free to accompany you." He'd told him with his signature grin.

Aizawa had grunted in response, though he secretly appreciates his gesture. It's never boring when Fujikawa is around anyway, since he is such a chatterbox and sometimes _awfully loud; _always filling him in with gossips he'd missed while being bedridden.

Saejima had visited him sometimes too, mostly to check on his condition and to carry out her duties as a nurse. Yukimura even tagged along once, stammering, as she strings out an apology for her harsh words towards him before, and then thanking him for saving her. The other fellows came by occasionally too, though most of the time, they were arguing amongst themselves over the tiniest matters in front of him, rather than actually _talking _to him.

Hiyama had also dropped by the moment he had awoken, sprouting sentences like _don't be a hero next time _and _you scared us all to near death, you know? _but since then, she'd been quiet every time she visits, tailing behind Shiraishi without saying much, merely observing their conversation instead of joining in with them. She'd dropped by to visit quite frequently initially, together with Shiraishi or Saejima, but Aizawa doesn't think he's seeing her that much lately—which really is fine, since he knows how busy they all are.

It does get Aizawa to wonder though, how Shiraishi never fails to drop by every few hours to check on him. She has got to be the busiest, yet she'd always make time to visit him whenever she could. It has become a sort of routine that Aizawa finds himself anticipating for when she'd magically appear in his ward. Shiraishi doesn't usually say much to him, always in her calm manner, unlike Fujikawa who seems to always have things to tell him, or how he seems to radiate sunshine and rainbows the moment he steps into Aizawa's ward.

Today is the same, as usual. Shiraishi enters quietly, offers him a slight smile as she goes straight to check on his daily report. "How are you feeling today?" She then asks, her eyes still trained on the tablet in her hands.

"Better." He replies. "My hands felt slightly numbed yesterday, but thankfully they're all right now."

Aizawa doesn't miss the flash of despair on her face, though it is quickly replaced with that of a more relieved expression. She's oddly quieter than she usually is today, and Aizawa finds himself concern over her wellbeing. "Shiraishi, what's wrong?"

There's a long pause that fills the air right after he asks that question. Shiraishi puts down the tablet and frowns, a moment of contemplation. "I just…" She hesitates, her expression turns back to one that is somber, "I wanted to apologize, actually."

Aizawa raises an eyebrow. "Whatever for?"

"I should have been more aware of the leakage. I was ahead in the line. If I had noticed, you wouldn't have…" Her sentence trails off, just as something clicks in Aizawa's head; it's been a week since he'd awoken, and she hasn't mentioned that incident throughout visiting him, but it is more than enough for Aizawa to know why she is always so down when she came by, why there's guilt on her face even though blaming her for his misfortune had never once crossed his mind.

"Listen to me." Aizawa says firmly, it is only when Shiraishi looks at him that he continues, "It's not your fault."

"I'm always like this, aren't I?" She continues, as though she didn't hear what he had just told her. "Always rushing into the site without properly checking my surroundings." There are tears in her eyes now, and the implication behind her sentence hits Aizawa quickly—the accident which caused Kuroda-sensei his arm, it has been such a long, long time ago, yet it'd always be a harsh reminder for the female flight doctor, an incident she'd never be able to forget. "Thank god you're all right." Shiraishi sighs, brushing her tears away and forcing herself to smile. "Thank god, _really_."

"Shiraishi," Aizawa starts again. "It's _okay_. I'm okay_ now_."

She doesn't say anything, simply nods. There's a look on her face that Aizawa couldn't read, but he figures it's probably a look of gratitude, of relief, that he is all right.

* * *

Shiraishi doesn't visit for the next two days, which disappoints Aizawa a little, much to his annoyance for feeling that way. Maybe it's because he is so used to seeing her drop by every now and then whenever she had some free time. Yeah, it's probably that.

It's normal, he tells himself, Shiraishi is an extremely busy person, of course she wouldn't be free _all _the time, especially not to check on a patient who is already on a speedy road towards recovery. His body doesn't ache that much anymore, and according to cardiology, there isn't anything to worry about the functions of his heart, either.

Aizawa stares out of the window and into the night sky, the sun having gone down five hours ago. It doesn't matter that much, he reasons to himself, some alone time has been good for him too. He had taken the entire day to read the books Fujikawa lent him, something he wouldn't normally had been able to do with his crazy schedule. Yes, Aizawa repeats to himself, it's always good to have some alone time.

The door to his ward slides open just then, and for a second there, Aizawa feels a jolt in his heart as he looks up to see who it is at the door. His shoulders slump in slight disappointment as Fujikawa strolls in briskly.

"Oh! You're still awake!" He greets happily, rushing to his bed and sinking into the empty chair beside it. Fujikawa launches into his story without missing a beat. "Emergency has been crazy hectic these two days. There was a major accident _again _and well, you know, our hospital is always ready to receive patients with open arms."

Ah, Aizawa puts two pieces together, so that's why Shiraishi hasn't been around.

"Needless to say, I'm only able to catch a breath now. Thought I should drop by and see how you're doing. Aren't I the greatest friend ever?" Aizawa fights back the urge to roll his eyes as Fujikawa continues his sentence, "So…how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay." He answers honestly, "A little tired most of the time, but generally good."

"Well, you're still recovering." Fujikawa shrugs, not at all worried. "My shift has ended actually, so I'm heading back home in a bit. Do you need me to get you anything?"

Aizawa shakes his head, a slight smile on his face. "Thanks, but I'm good."

Fujikawa grins brightly at that, giving his comrade two thumbs up. "Awesome! Haruka is actually waiting for me, so I'm going to go now. If you need anything though, Shiraishi is still around since she has the night shift." Fujikawa stands, then whispers, his eyes gleaming, "Maybe she'll drop by later, who knows?"

Aizawa doesn't respond, he simply watches Fujikawa's retreating back as his words ring continuously in his mind.

* * *

He wakes up naturally in the morning, sunlight streaming into his ward and hitting the ends of his bed. It takes Aizawa a few seconds to take in his surroundings, and another three seconds to realize that he isn't alone—he sees someone's head lying on folded arms on the side of his bed, her back hunched in a position he finds uncomfortable, yet this person, Aizawa realizes, is soundly and fast asleep. He knows who it is, immediately, and his expression softens. Judging from her casual attire, it is apparent that she has finished her shift. Aizawa wonders what she is doing here, when she should be at home catching up on some sleep?

He shifts quietly in his bed, trying to bring himself up without waking his sleeping visitor. The bed creaks, much to his dismay, and in an instant, Shiraishi begins to stir slowly. Aizawa holds his breath, sees her propping her head up with one hand before realization hits her. Shiraishi jumps in her seat, her eyes wide, though still apparent with hints of having fallen asleep.

Shiraishi meets his gaze, her cheeks flushed with mild embarrassment. "Sorry! I just got off a night shift and today just happens to be my day off." She begins to ramble. "I thought I'd drop by to visit since I haven't got the chance to in the past two days, but I guess I must have fallen asleep."

"Shiraishi," Aizawa starts, his voice slightly hoarse. "You just finished a 36 hour shift. Go home. Get some sleep."

"I'm fine, really." Shiraishi retorts back, though Aizawa sees that she is stifling a yawn. "I wanted to check on you before I go back, at least."

"You can come back later in the evening after you've gotten some proper sleep." Aizawa suggests promptly, though regrets it the second those words roll off his tongue. How could he suggest Shiraishi to come back to the hospital on her day off just to visit him? How unreasonable of him, how impudent; she has absolutely no obligation to do that, why even suggest that to her? "If…you want." He adds in a few seconds too late, though Shiraishi doesn't seem to mind. On the contrary, she is smiling, taking in his suggestion and nodding her head in agreement.

"That's actually a good idea. I really need to freshen up a little, too." She looks at her watch then, and Aizawa sees that she is mumbling the hours to herself, her fingers doing the calculation subconsciously. It is somewhat endearing to see Shiraishi like this, he has known her for years, and everything must be planned down to the dot for her. "If I go home now, I'll be able to get at least eight hours of sleep and still be able to visit you in time for dinner. You'll eat with me, won't you?"

Aizawa is slightly alarmed at that suggestion. "Ha?"

"I figured you'll be lonely, so maybe I can grab a bento and join you for dinner later." Shiraishi explains cheerfully. It is obvious that she has already made up her mind, so Aizawa doesn't decline her suggestion, nor say anything else. Instead, he merely nods.

"Great! I checked your reports earlier and everything seems to be fine so don't worry."

"I'm not." He says without hesitation, knowing he is in the hands of some of the best doctors whom he greatly trusts. "Have a good rest, will you?"

Shiraishi nods, smiling. "I'll see you later, then."

"Yeah." Aizawa nods, too. "See you."

* * *

Shiraishi keeps her promise and returns in the evening with her pre-packed bento and some fruits. He notices the rosy colors of her cheeks, how light her steps are, how the aura she radiates simply shows that she had freshened up and gotten a good sleep. She takes her seat by his bed just as Saejima enters with Aizawa's dinner.

"Shiraishi-sensei," Saejima greets her comfortably, showing no signs of being surprised to see the flight doctor there even though it is her day off. She places the tray on the table, but before Saejima could reach forward to adjust Aizawa's bed and to help him up, Shiraishi is already doing that without a question. "Ah…that's my job." The words slip out of her tongue before Saejima could stop herself. Shiraishi remains cheerful, though, shaking her head twice as she makes sure Aizawa is able to reach his food comfortably.

"Don't worry about it." Shiraishi flashes a grin into Saejima's direction. "I've got this."

Saejima couldn't help but smile. "I'm never worried when you're around, Shiraishi-sensei. I'm sure Aizawa-sensei agrees."

Aizawa grunts as a response, though he too, is smiling slightly. "Thank you for bringing the food."

"It's what I'm _supposed_ to do." Saejima rolls her eyes playfully, though she is already taking a few steps back. Saejima thinks she shouldn't interrupt them anymore than she already had, for some reasons only time can tell. She hides the giggle that is about to come out from her throat with a cough. The nurse then waves goodbye and leaves the ward quietly.

"Please eat, Aizawa-sensei." Shiraishi gestures at his untouched meal as she reaches into her bag for her bento. "I hope the hospital food is to your liking."

"Oh, they're fine." Aizawa replies while picking his spoon up. He starts eating slowly, watching Shiraishi from the corner of his eyes as she too, begins to eat her dinner.

They don't speak when they're eating, the air is filled with comfortable silence. Shiraishi seems to look more serene than the last time he saw her, and it somehow makes him glad that she isn't beating herself up anymore for what happened to him.

This isn't the first time he's eaten a patient's meal prepared by the hospital, but Aizawa thinks that tonight's dinner is the most delicious meal he'd ever eaten so far from being hospitalized. He finishes his meal without leaving a drop of soup or a grain of rice.

"Ah, I'm so full." Shiraishi announces after finishing her bento. She looks over to see Aizawa's clean tray, and smiles brightly at that sight. "Must be a good meal, huh?"

Aizawa simply nods.

* * *

"You don't have to do that, you know."

Aizawa tells her after a few days, when she comes in to check on him for the third time that day.

"Do what?" Shiraishi asks innocently, not looking up from her tablet.

Aizawa remains quiet until she finally looks at him. He continues, "Checking up on me every now and then. You're a busy person, Shiraishi, and I'm almost fully recovered."

She shrugs nonchalantly. "I'm your supervising doctor for a reason, Aizawa-sensei. It's part of my jobscope, if you've forgotten."

"But you don't _have _to drop by_ three_ times a day." Aizawa persists on, a little worried that he's taking too much of her precious time when she already has a mountain of work to do.

"No, but I _want_ to." Shiraishi returns easily, though she doesn't say anything else. There's a second of confusion that appears on her face, as if she's asking herself why she'd just said that, but it comes and goes quickly, so Aizawa decides not to prod further on that topic.

"Hmm…" Shiraishi hums to herself as she looks back on her tablet. "Yukimura hasn't changed your bandage yet, has she?"

The bandage Shiraishi is referring to is the one wrapped around his foot, some skin had burned from his contact with electricity during that fateful incident. Aizawa shakes his head. "Not yet, I think she'll do it later."

Shiraishi doesn't respond, merely tapping away on the tablet. After a few seconds, she puts it down and heads for the supplies trolley by the side. "Shiraishi?" Aizawa has a feeling he knows what she is about to do. "This _isn't_ within your jobscope."

She doesn't reply again, returning with fresh dressings for his burn wound. Shiraishi expertly removes his old bandage in one swift motion, pausing a while to study his wound. Aizawa holds his breath, keeping a close eye on Shiraishi to see if her expression betrays her thoughts. It doesn't, as she then coolly begins to dress his wound wordlessly. He winces a little at the pain, but stays as still as he could for Shiraishi to replace his bandage.

Once she's done, Shiraishi meets his gaze. "You should be able to walk soon. It's healing really well." Then her gaze falters, but Aizawa already knows what she is about to say. He's after all, a doctor himself. "But you might have a permanent scar." She says slowly, her tone soft and apologetic.

Aizawa nods slowly. "That's expected. It's fine. As long as I'm alive and well, right?"

Shiraishi smiles at that and nods in agreement. "Yes, definitely."

"Shiraishi?" He calls out just before she turns to leave. Shiraishi looks over her shoulder, an eyebrow raised. "Yeah?"

"Thank you." is all Aizawa says.

* * *

Aizawa is finally discharged after almost three weeks.

In between all the conversation he had shared with Shiraishi and Fujikawa, and Hiyama dropping by to tease him for being stuck in bed, time flew by rather quickly. Granted, he still needs to get a few more checkups before he has to leave for Toronto, but overall, Aizawa is glad that he is finally able to roam about freely, and to resume his duty as a doctor.

He is even more relieved to be able to attend Fujikawa and Saejima's wedding ceremony, a secret event spontaneously planned between Shiraishi and Hiyama on one of the nights they've visited him. He was naturally roped into the plan as well by Hiyama, though he doesn't mind at all.

"Hurry and catch up with me." Fujikawa tells him cheekily, a hidden implication that only both of them understood. _Ah, he must have seen my video message_, Aizawa reasons as he returns a smile of embarrassment to the groom.

Aizawa watches the happy couple finally having their delayed ceremony, and his heart swells with joy—Aizawa isn't even aware he is capable of being _this _happy, but he truly is, seeing the lovely scene that is transpiring in front of his very own eyes. He's never good in words, unlike Fujikawa, nor is he ever good in portraying his feelings and emotions.

But he wants to, Aizawa finds himself searching for the particular woman in the crowd, he really wants to.

One day, some day, Aizawa mentally vows as he watches Fujikawa planting a kiss onto Saejima's cheek, he'll fulfill what Fujikawa asked him to, he'll fulfill this dream she set off in him.

(e n d)

* * *

**ps:** i mean, we deserved to know what happened during that 3 weeks so here's a little scenario that i came up with, i had to do a bit of reading for the after effects of getting an electric shock, and i'm most definitely not a doctor or a med student so if there are any inaccuracies, i apologise! i hope you liked reading this :)


End file.
